Building Blocks for a Better Life

Building Blocks for a Better Life

In 2011 when Shanta first partnered with Ta Khae village, Nang Pawe spent her days working in the fields growing only chili and cabbage for her family to eat. Her family’s annual income was less than $900. But after the Community Loan Fund (CLF) was established with a matching grant from Shanta, Nang Pawe had an idea: she could sell chili, cabbage, and garlic in the market to earn more money for her family. She used a loan from the CLF to purchase more seeds and expand her farm to include even more in-season fruit and vegetables. After two years, she took out another small loan to purchase oranges from a nearby village, which she now takes to the market in the town of Taunggyi to sell. While in Taunggyi, she purchases apples and grapes to take back to her village to sell.

In three years, Nang Pawe says she has doubled her family’s income. She invests the extra income in her children’s education, sending one child to university and another to a boarding school for middle school. She said she can also spend money on her own healthcare, purchasing nutritious food for her family and paying a community tax to support development in her village.

With Shanta’s financial and confidence-boosting support and her own creativity and motivation, Nang Pawe has established herself as a confident female entrepreneur.